This week on the gamification roundup, we got quirky news and some successes in the gamification industry. On the quirky side, Domino’s Pizza Hero game is being used as a recruitment tool and an interesting concept of making games more passive called “Telefication” is being discussed. In the gamification industry, Blue Shield healthcare is reporting 80% participation in their health programs and the first gamified casino loyalty program by Gigya and Boyd Gaming has been released. Check out the full roundup after the jump.
Pizza Hero Gets you a Job at Domino’s – Kotaku, April 17
Pizza Hero is a very simple iPad game similar to Cooking Mama that has been out for a year now. The game concept itself is nothing new but the new way Domino’s is now using the game is worth noting. Aside from the ability to create a pizza virtually and have that same pizza delivered to you, Domino’s is now using this game as a recruiting tool. If players are able to complete some preliminary challenges, they will be prompted to apply to Domino’s and will be given an actual application to fill out. No recruiting statistics are available yet but it will be interesting how effective this is in the long term.
Combining Television and Games for “Telefication” – NewsLine, April 20
Television is an aging medium but it definitely is not dead. In fact, the way we view television could revolutionize our approach to gamification. Gamification is typically an active engagement with users but what if we bring passive elements of television into gamification design? At the Games for TV Conference, Mark Sorrell of Something Else spoke about how these elements can bring interesting changes to games and producer David Flynn spoke about how he successfully leveraged gamification and television into engaging programming. Do we want our gamers to be more passive like television viewers?
Blue Shield’s Wellvolution gets 80% Participation Rate – InformationWeek, April 19
Blue Shield healthcare in California has gamified some of its services and is touting some impressive numbers. In 2009, Blue Shield created a wellness initiative called Wellvolution but only saw some mild success. Since then, they have also rolled out Shape Up Shield and Healthrageous, which focus on social media, daily challenges, and mobile connectivity. In the past three years, Blue Shield reports that 80% of Blue Shield employees have participated in at least one of its wellness programs. Other statistics from the program include a 50% drop in smoking prevalence and a 66% decrease in hypertension incidence.
Gigya Launches the first Gamified Casino Loyalty Program – PRWeb, April 17
It’s only fitting that casinos incorporate gamification into their programs: Gigya has launched B Connected Social in conjunction with Boyd Gaming Corporation to create the first gamified casino loyalty program. The web-based loyalty program will span 13 casino properties across 5 states and will enable users to earn rewards and perks as they gain “social points”. Gigya’s platform will also enable people to gain rewards while sharing their achievements across their social networks. Will gambling addicts now have two things to become addicted to?
